A Quickie with Will Tuddenham

Prepare for Monday. That’s when Videograss and Yobeat will release the remixed version of Will Tuddenham’s “Shoot the Moon” section. If you haven’t seen the original, it’s heavy, awesome, and the bangers, well, they are the real deal. That’s why we found it odd that Mr. Tuddenham is currently without a board sponsor, seemingly at the height of his budding career. We caught up with Will, to make sure he hasn’t killed himself, and to see what’s next in our very first “Quickie” interview.

You lost your board sponsor, your friends are busy traveling and your girlfriend is drinking beer in Australia. Does that sum up your life right now?

I guess so… That’s pretty shitty when you look at it like that.

So why the split between you and Nitro?Â

Thats a good question, some what of a long story, but to make it quick I guess you could say I was cut. I was never officially told I was -—just happened.

One day the checks stopped showing up and no one would pick up your calls?

Not exactly… I was told it was going to be hard to keep giving me what I was getting, but to keep in touch and we would see what we could work out. Â The next thing I heard is that someone at Nitro was telling people I wasn’t on the program anymore. I was paid through the end of my contract though, so I wasn’t totally screwed.

Does this make you look at snowboarding differently? Where’s your head at?

Yeah a lot differently. Â I mean I still love snowboarding and still want to keep filming more than anything, but it’s pretty hard to stay motivated when you get cut and you didn’t do anything to deserve it. It’s made me pretty bitter.

So you weren’t “marketable” enough for Nitro. What do you think really “sells” these days?

Loud funny snowboarders, being all over the web, first or last part in a movie, and triple corks? I honestly don’t really know, but I need to figure it out ASAP.

I hear that’s cool. Have you considered a neck tat? Or getting an inappropriate one for a web video?

Never considered it, neck tat wouldn’t happen though, especially since I have to get a real life job now.

Are you willing to develop a substance abuse problem or do a short stint in jail?

I could do some jail time if it was for something awesome. Â I’m really into Breaking Bad right now, maybe I could get into cooking meth.

Are you handy with chemistry?Â

No… I suck at chemistry… Shit…

Do you think the Dew Tour or Triple Corks could even help you? Does anyone even want to see you do that shit?

I don’t think it would, I like to believe people would like to so me doing the type of snowboarding I enjoy doing. Â Plus, even if I could do that shit I don’t know that I would, Â It’s not my type of snowboarding.

Are you good at anything besides snowboarding?

Not especially, I like playing music a lot. Â Jordan (Mendenhall) and I are in a band.

Trick question, good snowboarders don’t get cut. Ok, that was a joke and super mean, but is it awkward being in a band with Jordan knowing he didn’t get cut?

No definitely not, Jordan is insanely good, always films a really good part and deserves to be sponsored forever. If someone like Jordan were to get cut, I would seriously question that company and their outlook on snowboarding.

So if Will Tuddenham can’t get a board sponsor, what chance do the thousands of other kids have?Â

Well first off, I’m definitely not anything special, so probably a good chance. But in all honesty, I don’t have a lot of faith in snowboard companies anymore, and it’s not because there isn’t a market for it the type of snowboarding guys like me are doing, it’s because a lot of snowboard companies don’t think there is a market for that type of snowboarding. Â It’s like they all of the sudden lost faith in it.

So what’s your plan for the rest of the winter?

Keep boarding, get a job, play music.

Who would you consider your worst sponsor all-time?

Hmm Rossignol was probably the worst of ‘em.

What would you consider the scariest shot you’ve ever gotten?

The gap to ledge that was the last shot in my part in Shoot the Moon.

You were the young dude behind Jon (Kooley) and Jordan at Nitro, are you ready to step up to the plate and be a man?

Yeah I’m ready, fuck yeah.

Could you find the time in your busy schedule to make some edits for Yobeat?Â

Yeah lets do this.

We’ll pay you the same as Nitro, aka nothing. Deal?

Done deal.

While currently on the market, the nice gents’ at Capita have been feeding Will a healthy flow of snowboards to tide him over. Hopefully he can film a part in snowless Utah with them. We at Yobeat believe 2012 will end up being a great year for young Will, or we’re all dead anyway and none of this matters.

what a bummer, but i suppose milosport has to make room in the budget for flowing every kid without a real board sponsor on their team boards so they can keep them looking cool on the hill. I suppose will just doesnt have the mass appeal other kids in weekly edits might who dont get paid to snowboard. tough cookies will. hope you land on top, your part this year was awesome!

Nitro has a long history of almost making it and just when they’re about to get over the hill they drop the ball. They are like a pheonix that is always crashing and burning. This is just one mistake in a long line of mistakes. The last was letting Tonino go and having a Euro run the team and marketing. The mistake before that was cutting their entire sales team and letting Milo, a retail shop try to run a brand.

Look at actual big shops like Backcountry, Evo Gear, Buckmans etc that make millions more than Milo. They aren’t trying to buy or run brands because they know they don’t have the time, resources or expertise to make it happen. Nitro’s sales manager Josh is a shop manager, he has no business trying to run a sales team, they only have two reps in the US now…. they don’t have any rep on the entire east coast. It’s a joke.

The only reason they are in the US any more is that the Euros need the US to market so it’ll be cool in Europe. Milo buys decks for nothing and sells them for 400% profit, they can keep the brand on life support alone with that profit margin… but they can’t sustain a real marketing presence, team riders to be viable. Without a rep force they’ll slowly shrink shop by shop.

This time next year they’ll probably just have a couple online dealers and Milo left. SIA numbers came out and since they fired their sales team 3 seasons ago they’ve dropped from being in the top 10 brands.

No one has to say fuck Nitro… they’ve been doing that to themselves for years. They’ll never be a reavelent brand here in the US because they don’t get it. Will is just another mistake for these guys… they’ll make more and they’ll keep shrinking until they can’t come back. Watch em burn…

i really was not trying to say much against nitro, i think their boards are awesome, but i think they market their shit like a buch of no ball pussy losers. Its just that what’s cool in utah seems like the whole world when you have everything based there but than you don’t see one kid on the east or west coast other than austin smith once a year (as rad as he is) riding a god damn nirto board. their boards are great, but nirto might just need a team manager like java. better yet, everyone needs a tm like java ( no homo) cause good hell, look at those vacation and sass fee edit’s.
shouldn’t have dropped will.

CRY ME A RIVVVVVVVVVVER will tuddenham.. you have to get a real job now!!!???? oh my god you are a pansy. hahha welcome to reality….

how old are you 17 and think you can snowboard till your 65 and still get paid to do it? jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesus. oh and btw your girlfriend is probably off plowing tons of other australian surfers dudes. welcome to 2012. hope its a great year!

and lassssssstly to continue on my hate spree. all the young kids of utah that are on nitro are way better than you. all i can say is that johnny bradys bs7 double grab in the last park city edit was way better than any of your half ass zeach slides last year.